Hold Your Colour
by Matyrfae
Summary: "She looked into your eyes and saw what laid beneath, Don't try to save yourself, The circle is complete." Rated M for language and adult situations.
1. Cat's in the Cradle

**This is a tribute fic to Sever-Black's beautiful story "IDGAF" One of my favorite fanfics out there. I just couldn't help putting my own Shepard with Kolyat and Sever-Black said it was okay for me to share the sandbox. Go read her fic if you have not! Enjoy, and please review! :)**

"Shepard…"

"Follow him on the catwalks; yea I got it Krios."

"I do not doubt that you understood the task Shepard, I am merely asking for the target's position…"

_Oh…my bad…_

"It looks like the bastard is bitching at some voters. 'Humans are scum, their species is a taint upon galactic society' blah blah _fuckin_ blah…"

She heard Thane stifle a small laugh through her earpiece, causing her to grin as she watched the anti-human turian politician below her. A lot of what he was saying was making her want to rip the mandibles right off his grasshopper like face, but she had to be stealthy… which pissed her off to no end. Fae was more of a 'run in, guns blazing' type. This 'be as shadow' bullshit wasn't her cup of tea.

"Alright Krios, he's moving towards another group…" Fae crept along, trying as hard as she could to be completely silent. So far the Turian and his Krogan bodyguard had yet to notice her, which gave her some pleasure. She was no master assassin, but she was still pretty damn good.

Things were going slow and as she listened to the politician she could've sworn her veins were literally filling with rage.

"Let me shoot him Thane…plllleeeaaassseee?" She whined into her comm. unit.

"Focus Shepard…"

"I am focused!"

"Then where is Talid?"

"He's…umm…" _Fuck…fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK!_

"He just passed me, go down the catwalk to your left and head towards the main shops."

"Sorry Thane…"

"Just _please_ pay more attention Shepard."

"I will…promise." Fae cringed as she hurried after Talid.

. . .

"Awww he's my favorite color!"

Thane just shook his head at the tiny human woman as they ran after his son. The boy had managed to get a hold of the politician and drag him into his apartment.

Upon immediate entry they found Kolyat…holding a gun to the Turian's head. _And so the cycle continues…I have failed._

"This…this is a joke. Now? _Now _you show up?" Kolyat was livid, his entire frame stiffening as he glared daggers at his father.

Thane noticed Fae lift her pistol to the boy's face, inwardly shuddering at the realization that she _would_ hurt his son if she had to.

"Kid, put the gun down and we'll talk…" Her voice was harsh, clipped. Thane realized she was just as nervous, if not more so than he was about the situation.

"No, I'm walking out, he's coming with me!" Kolyat punctuated his point by jabbing his gun into the back of Talid's head. Talid didn't utter a single word. The politician seemed to be literally frozen with fear.

Thane stepped forward, "That won't be easy…"

"I don't need your hel-Ach!" Fae chose that moment to shoot the lamp from over the boy's shoulder, scaring the hell out of both Kolyat and the hostage as the bullet whizzed past them, shattering the porcelain into a thousand pieces.

Wasting no time she stepped forward, delivering a very painful looking punch to Kolyat's face. That she had punched him in the face was no small accomplishment considering Fae herself was only around five feet tall…

"Talid, get the hell out of here."

The Turian looked up at her in awe for a moment, before standing and stumbling towards the door.

"You bitch!" Kolyat hissed at her.

Thane saw Fae's ice blue eyes flash in anger and quickly restrained her as she lunged towards his son. She grunted before shrugging out of his hold.

"Thane…" Fae turned towards her friend, "we've got about ten minutes before C-Sec busts in here and hauls all our asses to a holding cell. I suggest you make nice with your boy and let's get the fuck out." She glared back at the younger drell, banging her shoulder against him as she passed him, smirking as he stumbled slightly. She paused at the window, peeking through the silky curtains to keep watch for the C-Sec patrol cars.

Thane stepped towards his son, "Kolyat…"

"Don't bother…I don't want to hear any of your excuses."

"Ummm…yea, so…ah Thane?"

"What?"

Fae's unusually pale skin flared blue and red from the flashing lights of the C-Sec sky cars as they sped past the building, "We have to leave now."

Kolyat's dark blue scales paled visibly, the teal ribbing of his throat and face draining of all color, "What's going to happen to me?"

"Should have thought of that before you went into the killing business huh?" Fae was still pissed at being called a bitch.

"I will keep you safe." Thane swore to his son.

"Alright, let's get ourselves a sky car then…"Fae said in a sing song voice. Thane did not like the look on his Commander's face. He then vowed to do everything in his power to make sure _he_ was the one who made it into the driver's seat.

"So who is she, your assistant or something?" Thane actually froze in place, cringing as he turned towards Fae.

The tiny woman had stopped dead in her tracks; Thane actually saw her eye twitch. _Run Kolyat…_

The boy yelped as she punched him in the gut, gripping his collar as she jerked him down to her level, "I'm a marine, asshole!" She growled before shoving him backwards.

Kolyat landed in a heap on the floor. Though the situation was not the most appropriate for his reaction, Thane couldn't help smirking slightly.

"Now get up, we're heading to the Normandy…" Fae hissed as Kolyat straightened.

. . .

"Shepard…"

"What?"

"Do you really think this is the appropriate time?"

Fae continued to mess with the sky car's radio dials, "Chill out Krios, if we're going to be in an epic car chase we might as well have good music and enjoy the ride. Besides, the patrol cars passed us like half an hour ago, if they aren't chasing us yet, then I think we're in the clear…"

Thane shook his head at her, just glad to be the one driving for once. Fae turned in her seat, glancing back at the definitely irritated young drell slouching in the back, "What do you think Kolyat?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Cause you're obviously a criminal mastermind. I figured we could use your input on the situation…"

"…"

"Aw, I think I hurt his feelings…"

"Fae…" It was not often Thane used her first name so she decided to cool it; leaning back in her seat she felt her eyelids grow heavy.

"Ugh, wake me when the feds catch us, okay?"

This got her another annoyed sound from Thane. Soon the Commander's breathing evened out, Thane knowing instantly when she was fully asleep.

"So where are we going?" Kolyat growled from the backseat.

Thane glanced back at his son through the rearview mirror, "We are heading for the Normandy SR-2. You should be properly hidden there. We'll figure out our next move once we are out of immediate danger."

Kolyat huffed in response, glaring out the window. "So who is she…my new mom or something?"

Thane growled in irritation, "No, Fae is nothing more than a good friend, and if it weren't for her you would be a murderer and under arrest in a C-Sec holding cell right now."

Kolyat chose not to respond to that and Thane thanked all of his gods that the rest of the drive remained blissfully silent.

. . .

"Hey where the heck have you been?"

"I'm sorry Joker; did you just raise your voice at me?"

"Damn right I did, you said you guys would be back hours ago…"

"Aww, thanks for worryin about me Daddy!" Fae cried out in a high pitched voice.

Joker responded by rolling his eyes.

Fae stepped into the cockpit, followed by the two drell. Joker examined Kolyat closely, "This the new kid?"

"At the moment yes…" Fae turned around, "Alright Kolyat, I'm guessing you'll be staying for a few days until things die down on the Citadel so-"

"Wait…who's in charge here?"

Fae raised an eyebrow, "Commander _Shepard_ is…"she stated through clenched teeth, hoping he would take the hint. _I swear to God if this kid goes where I think he's goin…_

"Well where is he?" There was a collective shocked silence, most of the activity in the CIC ceasing as everyone stared at the soon to be deceased drell. _Oh he did not just go there…_

Thane bowed his head, massaging his temples as Fae stepped towards his son, the elder drell knowing full well what was about to happen.

Fae's leg snapped out, delivering a swift kick to Kolyat's stomach. Kolyat flew back several feet, sliding to a stop at the end of the walkway.

Kolyat groaned as he opened his eyes to find two very blue irises glaring into his dark ones, "I'm Commander Shepard." Fae growled, kicking his side as she stepped over him, "Welcome to the Normandy." She tossed over her shoulder as she headed for the armory.

Kolyat stared at his father's leather boots as they slowly came into focus. His head was on fire from a tension headache and his ribs screamed for mercy. The blonde woman had certainly broken a couple of them since meeting him. So far the day was not going as well as he had planned, though if Kolyat was being honest with himself, he hadn't really planned much at all.

"I had forgotten your unique talent for making great first impressions."

"That…hurt…"

"Indeed, it certainly looked painful."

Kolyat accepted Thane's help up, grumbling under his breath as they moved for the elevator.

"Wait here, I need to go speak with the Commander." Thane gave his son a stern look, daring him to antagonize anyone else.

"Shepard…" Thane murmured as he slipped through the Armory doors with caution, random objects tended to be thrown at people when the Commander was pissed.

"Over here, Thane…you okay?" Fae turned her baby blues on him, Thane once again stunned by the intensity of her gaze. For the most part he found Fae to be quite juvenile and very easily distracted in the field. The woman was chaotic at best, but every so often she would surprise him, showing a bit of wisdom, or demonstrating the leadership qualities that proved to him that the Alliance medals in her quarters were richly deserved. Her youth and violent personality set aside, she was a fierce war hero, and in his mind, a true Siha…

"I have been better. I came to apologize for my son's rude behavior, I knew he would be difficult but I had not anticipated-"

"Thane, let it go, I already have." She turned back to her guns, "He's not the only one at fault here. I'm sorry I let my anger get the better of me. I need to control my temper, you've said so yourself on countless occasions." She smiled, her eyes filled with mirth as she fiddled with her pistol.

"I also wanted to say thank you, Commander…" Fae's head snapped up, her features softening as she turned towards him. Thane was surprised by how child-like she appeared; though he knew it was a dangerous illusion.

"You're welcome; I owe you far more than this Krios. Now go get your son settled in. I have a feeling Talid is gonna sing like a canary to the feds, so we need to keep him here for a few days."

"About that, why didn't you simply speak with Captain Bailey? He could have made this whole process quite simple."

"Bailey would have helped us; getting himself into trouble. I know C-Sec is now run by humans and even though I did save the Council, Bailey's getting monitored very closely and I tend to get people fired. He's a good cop, a bit crooked but a good man, and I think C-Sec needs more of those."

Thane smiled, nodding in understanding. He moved to leave, but froze as a pair of slender arms wrapped around his waist.

"I hope you fix things with your son, good luck." Thane smiled, turning to hug her back.

"Thank you Shepard, I have a feeling I will need it."

"And tell him I'm in charge. Any more misunderstandings will end in severe beatings."

Thane chuckled as he walked towards his son, gesturing for Kolyat to enter the elevator first.


	2. Meet Cute

Kolyat stretched, cringing as his feet hit the side of the gun rack his cot lay near. He missed being home, with his nice comfy bed that he wasn't too tall for.

He sat up, glancing around Life Support. He noticed his father's sleeping form; Thane sprawled across the cot as if he had just thrown himself into bed, the assassin hadn't even bothered to get undressed. Kolyat had seen how exhausted his father looked, feeling slightly guilty that his attempt at following in the old man's footsteps had been the cause. He wasn't on the best of terms with the elder Krios, but he certainly didn't wish him ill…or more accurately, more ill than he already was.

Kolyat yawned, stretching his arms over his head. He was thirsty…

Kolyat had been too out of it to really focus during his tour of the Normandy, the entire time he had followed his father he had simply been counting the seconds until he could lay down and simply be left alone with his thoughts. Even though he didn't really know his way around the ship, he stood, setting out for the Mess Hall.

Luckily for him it was practically outside the door to Life Support. Kolyat headed towards the dim light above the stove, the only illumination in the wide open room. He narrowly avoided banging his hip against one of the large dining tables, bare feet freezing against the metal flooring as he moved towards the kitchen area.

A flicker of movement stopped him. Kolyat silently cursed himself for getting spooked. _You are twenty years old…only toddlers are scared of the dark!_

A slim figure sat posed upon the counter next to the stove, legs crossed as it sipped from a mug. Kolyat was able to see pretty well in the dark, and knew the figure to be that of the Commander.

It looked like she hadn't noticed him yet, so he contented himself with leaning against one of the tables and watching her. He hadn't really had a chance to examine the woman, what with her severely injuring him every time he drew near, though if he was honest that was mostly his fault.

Fae Shepard was short, even for a human. Her tiny form resembling most teenage, female drell. Kolyat raised an eye ridge at the woman's weird hair. It was pale blonde, almost white, the style short and spiky, though upon closer inspection he noticed it was slightly longer along the center of her head, the style reminding him of a 'Mohawk' he'd seen on a human male at the Citadel. Only her hair looked way better.

Her skin was almost as pale as her hair, though he noticed a weird discoloration around her hands and lower arms…

She was dressed in a baggy paint splattered, short sleeved shirt, the large collar exposing one pale shoulder. Her legs were in strange multi-colored leggings that left nothing to the imagination. Kolyat admired her perfect legs for a second, noting that although she was extremely short, the woman kept her body maintained to perfection. He guessed she had to though, considering her line of work. He honestly couldn't believe a woman of her appearance was capable of performing the things she had.

"You know considering your species' ability to perfectly recall your memories, I'd figure you wouldn't have to stare for very long…"

He jumped at her voice, noting her head hadn't tilted in his direction even once…

"I'm getting good at sensing when someone is near. You can thank your father for that, the sneaky bastard." A small smile graced her face as she brought the mug to her full, pink lips.

"I didn't mean to stare." He stated by way of an apology.

Fae gave a small snort, "Of course you did…everyone stares at me."

Kolyat's eye ridges shot sky high; he hadn't thought her to be the type of woman with a huge ego…

"Don't look at me like that, I'm not a narcissist. It's just that, no one believes I am who I am. They hear of Commander Shepard saving the galaxy, taking down Saren Arterius, a turian who was a fuckin _giant_ among his species let me tell you, But I'm only 24 and I look like a high school teenager, not a Spectre and _certainly _not the savior of the galaxy. So don't feel bad, I'm used to being doubted."

Kolyat bowed his head, stunned at the tiny feeling of shame he felt for thinking those exact thoughts.

Fae seemed to notice his unease, "Well don't just stand there gawkin at me, come over. You want some hot chocolate?"

Kolyat glanced at the pot on the stove, sniffing slightly as he neared.

"What is that?"

Fae's eyes widened, Kolyat catching himself admiring the brilliant blue irises, "Ah jeez…you gotta try this!" She picked up another mug from the dish rack next to her, filling it with a thick, mud colored liquid.

Kolyat was about to refuse when the smell hit him. It smelled…really really good. He took the mug she offered, sipping the drink slowly.

His eyes slid closed as the warm liquid soothed his throat, the sweet taste causing a smile to break through his stoic expression.

"Damn…that tastes great!" His next sip was closer to a gulp.

Fae laughed, Kolyat liking the sound, "Yea, I can't get enough of the stuff. I used to get gourmet hot chocolate whenever I went on shore leave, but this plain stuff is still pretty nice. I drink it when I can't sleep."

"Why can't you sleep?" _And why the hell am I concerned?_

"Ach…a number of reasons; I'm worried about my friend Garrus, you'll probably meet him tomorrow, I'm _constantly _worried about your dad's condition. I died and was brought back to life, that feels pretty weird, ya know? My current mission is I have to travel through a defective relay and destroy God knows what on the other side, pretty damn hard to relax with that task looming over your shoulder, oh…and a race of sentient super machines is massing in dark space to destroy all organic life in the galaxy," She examined the fingers on her right hand, "and I think I broke a nail when I punched you…goddamn does it hurt."

Kolyat's eyes widened, his shocked expression pulling another laugh out of the tiny human.

"Which relay is defective?"

"The one near Omega…"

"You mean you guys are going through the _Omega-4_ Relay?"

"What did you think your dad was here to do? Play Scrabble?" Kolyat had no idea what 'Scrabble' was, but the image was apparently very amusing to Fae.

"Seriously though, why do you think Thane has come back into your life? He regrets deeply that he abandoned you and your mother, he wanted to make amends before we set off for what is most likely going to be a suicide mission."

Kolyat wasn't sure what to say to that, it was a lot to take in. He opted for simply asking another question, "You…died?"

Fae's face darkened significantly, a haunted look in her eyes that sent a chill down Kolyat's spine, "Yea, I did…"

"Shepard…" Both turned towards the new voice.

"Sup Krios? Get that scaly green ass back in bed, you are three steps away from passing out from what I hear."

Thane chuckled softly as he approached the kitchen, still in his leathers, "I assure you I am in top shape Commander."

"Yea, I guess I wouldn't really be able to tell the difference considering I was just born yesterday and all." Kolyat watched her baby blues sharpen as she stared down his father.

Thane, yet again, laughed. Taking a glass from one of the small cabinets and filling it with water. He gave a cheeky smile to Fae as he lifted the glass towards her in a mock toast, "Just got up to get some water."

"Sure…" Fae grinned into her mug, draining it of the rest of its contents before rinsing it in the sink.

She hopped off the counter, moving to where she was standing in front of Thane. Crossing her arms she glared up at him as he sipped from his glass.

"Did you need something?" Thane asked, the smile on his face clearly showing he knew what she was upset about.

Kolyat was finding it hard not to laugh. Fae barely came up to his father's chin, yet was staring him down. It was like watching a pyjak take on a varren.

Fae simply raised an eyebrow, gesturing towards the glass, "Finish your drink and get back to bed Krios, don't make me pull rank; you're like twice my age…it'll be embarrassing."

Thane raised an eye ridge back at her, smirking as he took one of the tiniest sips imaginable, "What's the magic word Commander?"

"Damn it Thane…"

"Incorrect, now what do we say, Fae?" Saying his tone was condescending would've been the understatement of the galaxy.

The human growled, hands balling into fists at her side, "Will you _please _go back to bed?" She asked through gritted teeth. Thane was probably the _only_ crew member next to Garrus allowed to tease her.

Thane threw his head back, draining the glass in almost one gulp before placing it in the sink. He then smiled, "That's my girl."

Fae moved to punch him, but he easily blocked it, laughing all the way back to Life Support.

"Jack ass…" She growled under her breath as she jumped back on top of the counter.

Kolyat couldn't help the small bark of laughter that escaped, Fae's eyes widening at the sudden show of emotion.

"Alright laugh it up, I can send you back to bed too…"

"No you can't, I'm not part of your crew."

"Two words, blue boy: Citadel Security"

"Shit…"

"See? I win." Fae smirked at him, Kolyat glared right back.

The moment turned awkward; Kolyat looking away first.

"So…ah, sorry for punching you…and kicking you…" Fae murmured, she had meant to apologize sooner, but Kolyat had avoided her after the encounter in the CIC.

"Nah, I deserved it. I'm sorry for being so rude."

Fae extended her hand, a smile on her face, "Friends?"

Kolyat stared at her strange five fingered hand, how alien it looked compared to his own. He felt a small smile stretch his lips as he took it, shaking it lightly, "Sure…" It was then he noticed what the weird coloration of her skin was. She had tattoos, "What are those?" He pulled her arm out, his fingers tracing the silver colored patterns before his mind registered that the gesture was a bit personal…

Fae's smile widened, "I got a few tattoos when I joined the Alliance."

Kolyat examined her hand, realizing he had no idea what the grey design across her knuckle was, "What is this?" he asked, tracing over each knuckle individually.

"That is a tattoo of a brass knuckle. I have another one on my other hand; I got them with a couple friends of mine during the Saren investigation." _Don't you dare think of Ashley and Alenko and ruin the good mood… _Fae thought to herself.

Kolyat saw the 'brass knuckles' had 'N-7' printed on them. Fae explaining, "I got N-7 on mine…the others got the Alliance insignia printed on theirs."

Kolyat's fingers slid up her forearm, Fae hoping he hadn't noticed he'd given her goosebumps.

"And this one?"

"Ah, that is a _Triquetra._ It is an ancient Celtic Knot symbol." Kolyat's finger traced the loops and twists of the knots in the triangular shape, Fae stunned at how much she was enjoying the contact.

"What does it mean?"

"That's the great thing about Celtic Knots, they can hold any meaning you want. Traditionally though the _Triquetra_ is seen as a three legged symbol representing the three states of the feminine life cycle, similar to the Asari. The three stages are 'Maiden' or 'the Young Virgin', 'Mother' which represents pregnancy and, obviously, motherhood, and finally 'Crone' which represents old age and immense wisdom." She smiled down at her favorite symbol, "The _Triquetra_ also means the trinity of the soul: Physical, Mental, and Spiritual."

Kolyat nodded, "That makes sense actually…"

Fae laughed, "Your dad said the exact same thing!"

And so the moment was broken. _Wait…what moment? What the hell are you thinking? _Kolyat shook his head slightly, clearing his thoughts.

Fae's eyes dimmed slightly, her mouth forming a perfect 'O' shape as she yawned, "Damn…I need to get some sleep. Your Dad and I need to help Garrus tomorrow."

"What are you guys doing?"

"I got no clue at the moment, but I'll figure something out." Fae slid from the counter, poking him in the ribs as she passed, "It was nice chatting with you Kolyat, feel free to help yourself to the Hot Chocolate whenever you can't sleep." She stopped, "Just don't let anyone know, I've pretty much banned everyone else from even looking at the stuff."

He smiled into the dark, "Thanks Shepard."

"You should get some sleep too and yea you can take that as me ordering you to go to bed." Those were her last words before she slipped into the elevator.

Kolyat continued to stand there for a few moments longer, a plan slowly beginning to form in his mind…

If he played his cards right, he might be able to stay on the Normandy for more than a few days. He just had to figure out how to convince the Commander.


	3. Never A Dull Moment Here

**First of all, I'm not dead! :D Second of all, I forgot to mention that all things Mass Effect belong to Bioware. I am merely a grass stained, mud covered kid hiding out in their sandbox. Enjoy!  
><strong>

Kolyat woke in the morning to find his father and Fae in the Mess. They were eating whatever it was the mess sergeant, Gardner, had made. 'Oatmeal' was what the strange concoction was named, but Kolyat was unwilling to try it, opting for toast. He sat down at their table.

"Good morning!" Fae sang out, stuffing her face immediately after greeting him, she then said something resembling 'Did you sleep well?' but Kolyat was unable to tell for sure.

"Why don't you try to chew your food before speaking, Commander." His father murmured, taking a much smaller bite of his own food.

Fae made a strange gesture with her hand, holding up her fist with the middle finger raised; Kolyat didn't know what it meant but it caused his father to laugh.

Fae swallowed, glancing towards the elevator as it chimed, alerting those in the mess that new people had arrived.

A bald, human woman came into view, Kolyat immediately averting his eyes as he realized just how little the woman was wearing; her chest was almost completely exposed. She walked in a violent manner, practically stomping towards their table. Kolyat knew instantly that this was a woman who should _never_be messed with.

"Mornin Boss Lady" The woman said as she passed, her hand skimming over the top of Fae's spiky hair, causing Fae to hiss and grumble as she ran her fingers through the blonde locks, trying to get them to stand straight up again.

"Well if it isn't my favorite biotic, how's it goin Ink?" Kolyat saw the tattooed woman smile as she grabbed a spoon, all but pouring the contents of the pot of oatmeal into her bowl before she sat down next to the Commander.

"Shitty. Trigger finger's getting itchy, when am I gonna see some action?" The woman, Kolyat not sure whether her name really was Ink or not, began to wolf down her food. She didn't even seem to care that oatmeal was dripping down her chin.

"I don't think the Citadel is for you Jack. Garrus has something he needs to take care of and I've selected Thane to go with me."

"Goddamnit, why can't I go?!" Jack growled menacingly. The room seemed to snap with barely contained energy.

Fae didn't even flinch as Jack got in her face; the Commander just continued to stir her oatmeal. When she finally did turn to Jack, the look in her eyes was intense enough to chill the room by several degrees.

"Because as I have stated before Jack, the Citadel. Ain't. For you. Besides, the task we need to perform takes subtlety, a quality you have almost zero skill in. I really don't expect to run into trouble or combat, so you would only end up walking behind us and listening to me talk, and while I know how much you love the sound of my voice I'm guessing you'd rather stay on the ship for this one."

Jack's eyes narrowed, but she saw the Commander had a point. The last time she had argued her way onto the away team she'd ended up bored as hell. She went back to inhaling her food, Kolyat actually acknowledging the Gods he had been ignoring since he was ten, thanking them for protecting everyone from Jack's temper.

He ended up cursing them in the next second as Jack turned her focus onto him.

"Who's the new guy?"

Fae looked up from her food, giving him a small smile, "Jack, I'd like you to meet Kolyat, Thane's son…Kolyat? I want you to meet Jack, the Normandy's resident psycho."

"Hey, fuck you" Jack snapped.

"You wish…"

Jack laughed, before thrusting her hand out towards him, "Well I guess since you're Thane's kid I have to be nice to you." She shook hands with him, then pointed towards Thane, "I've sparred with this asshole…don't much care to fight him for real."

"I appreciate the compliment Jack." Thane bowed his head towards the biotic, a small smile crossing his face. Kolyat realized he'd seen his father smile more times in the last few moments than he had during any of his past visits home.

"Yea whatever. Don't let it get to your head, I could still do serious damage before you'd take me out." She growled in response. Fae smirked; Jack hated admitting she was at a disadvantage…especially when it involved fighting.

Kolyat watched Fae's shoulders tense, her back going ram rod straight as the set of doors across the room slid open. Kolyat watched as a turian stalked forward, wearing blue combat armor that seemed to have had an entire thermal clip released against it. His face was heavily scarred, a large cybernetic bandage attached along his right mandible. He walked towards the kitchen, not even glancing at them.

"Good Morning Garrus." Fae's voice was almost a whisper, Kolyat noticing his father reaching across the table to grasp her hand.

The turian, Garrus, merely grunted as he pulled a food packet out of the fridge. He ripped into it, munching on something rectangular and purple…

"When?" He growled once he had finished his food. Kolyat saw Fae flinch ever so slightly, wondering why Garrus was affecting her so intensely.

"Meet us in the CIC in thirty minutes…"

Garrus walked back to what Kolyat saw was the Main Battery of the ship, not even responding to the Commander.

"What's _his_problem?" He finally asked.

Fae, Jack, and Thane exchanged glances before Fae shook her head at him, "Sorry, that's private I'm afraid. I'm hoping his mood will improve once we…well, once we run this particular errand." Her ice blue eyes dimmed, her face becoming sad as she looked down at her food.

"I'm…not really hungry anymore." She murmured.

"Shepard…"

"I'm okay Thane, don't worry."

Kolyat could almost feel Fae moving around behind him, hearing her setting her dishes into the sink then receiving a pat on the back and a kind word from Gardner before entering the elevator.

Kolyat finished his breakfast, Jack and Thane falling into a concerned silence. Soon Jack herself left, leaving Kolyat alone with his father.

Things got awkward fast. Neither were willing to continue their earlier attempt at talking together. Thane wanted more than anything to make things right with him, Kolyat knew this, but he had a lot of rage built up, about ten years worth and for the moment he didn't want to let that go. Not yet anyways…

"How long will you guys be gone?" He finally managed to ask.

Thane was silent for a moment, his expression thoughtful, before responding, "I do not know. Surely not for long, I think we are simply meeting someone and then proceeding to our target. But do not count on my estimate…" he smiled again, "things tend to get complicated fast around our Commander."

"You guys seem very close…" He still wasn't sure whether the relationship was romantic or not. If it was indeed a romance, Kolyat was fully prepared to leave immediately. He'd rather rot in C-Sec than see his mother's memory defiled.

Thane's smile actually widened, "She has helped me through quite a lot and she maintains a positive outlook even though she carries the weight of the galaxy on her young shoulders. I admire and respect that, and am honored to work with her."

Kolyat couldn't stop the acidic remark from spewing forth, "What about Mom?"

Thane's eye ridges drew together, his eyes narrowing as he clenched his jaw, "Just because I think she is a good leader, and a good person in general, does not mean there is anything more between Fae and I than friendship. Irikah was everything to me and still is Kolyat…don't insult me like that again."

Kolyat jumped as his father kicked his chair back, clearing his dishes before walking into Life Support.

Kolyat glared at the table top, sighing heavily before standing.

"Shit!" He gasped, dropping his plate to avoid crashing into the Commander, who wore a huge grin on her pixie like face.

"Not so fun getting snuck up on is it?" She crowed, laughing.

Kolyat straightened, picking up his plate, "No…it's not."

"Oh don't be such a grouch, I got you good and it was funny, damn it."

He couldn't help but smile as he handed his dirty dish to Gardner, "I guess it was…"  
>He examined Fae, who was now in full combat armor. The N7 suit was jet black, but with the barest hint of dark blue splotches across the midnight armor. Kolyat noticed as she moved about that the suit fit her well, leaving very little to the imagination. <em>What the hell are you doing? She's a human you idiot!<em>

"So, where did your dad get off to? I want to beat Garrus to the air lock…"

Kolyat's face fell, Fae instantly concerned, "What happened?"

"Nothing…he's in Life Support."

"Don't play that shit with me boy. If there is a problem on my ship I need to know about it, and to be perfectly frank there is already too much drama going on between crew members as it is, I'm beginning to think this is a fuckin high school more than a damn battleship. So I wanna get rid of this issue before it becomes a problem. Now what the hell happened?"

"I…was a jerk, and pissed him off."

"What did you say?"

Kolyat's teal ribbing flushed almost indigo, Fae knowing a drell version of a blush when she saw one, "I…accused him of…um…"

"Kolyat, I don't mean to be a bitch here, but I have a ton of shit to do, so could you please let me know the issue _before_I turn old and grey?"

"I accused him of having a romantic relationship with you and abandoning my mother's memory." Kolyat spit out.

That had not been what Fae was expecting. Her eyes widened, mouth forming a perfect 'O' as she stepped back.

"Sorry…" Kolyat mumbled, deeply embarrassed. _Way to go asshole…_  
>Fae regained her composure, slipping what he was beginning to notice as her 'Commander' mask in place, "Kolyat…Thane in no way would abandon Irikah's memory." She smiled sadly as his eyes widened, "Yes, I know her name, and she sounded like one hell of a woman. Your dad seems to think she and I would've been great friends…" She reached up, laying one of her small hands on his shoulder, "Rest assured Kolyat, he loved your mother very very much and still does. I would never try to harm that." She gave his shoulder a squeeze before she stepped back.<p>

"Besides," she laughed, "he reminds me so much of my own dad it scares the hell outta me, I mean I sometimes refrain from teasing him cause I'm scared he'll ground me!"

Kolyat had been grounded once, his aunt had forbidden him to leave the house until he had cleaned his room. The idea of his father doing that to Shepard, was ludicrous. His laughter surprised the Commander, a small laugh of her own issuing forth in response.

"What is so amusing?"

Kolyat turned to see his Father, fully armored, with probably one of the largest sniper rifles Kolyat had ever seen strapped to his back.

"Krios! Glad to see you decided to join us, just about thought you were taking a nap." Fae smiled warmly at the older drell, stepping forward to slap him on the back, "Ya ready to find 'Fade'?"

Kolyat watched his father's face soften as he smiled at the Commander, before going tense once again in concern, "Yes…Garrus's condition has worried me too, and it will be nice to see him at peace."

"Mmm…" Fae hummed in response before turning back to the younger drell, "So Kolyat, a few rules while I'm gone need to be addressed, but for right now there is only one that is life or death important…"

"Goddess of Oceans, I'm 20 years old Shepard…"

"Yes, I know and that is exactly my point!" She smiled up at him, Kolyat half expecting her to stick her tongue out, "We have an adolescent Krogan on board who is currently going through a kind of…'blood rage'. We are heading to Tuchanka soon to deal with that, but in the meantime, should you come into contact with said baby Krogan…" She gripped his shirt, pulling him forward until they were almost face to face, "don't…piss…him off, understand?" Her eyes were fierce, the intensity enough to make Kolyat actually gulp.

"Understood Shepard…" The moment was gone, Fae's expression fading back to pleasant as she released him, this time gently.

"Good…would be a shame after all the trouble it took to get you here, to have you become a blue puddle on the floor of the cargo bay."

He looked to his father, to see if maybe Fae was over exaggerating, but his dad gave him a look stating that if he didn't avoid the Krogan he would definitely be sorry.

"Grunt's my baby boy, so I'm immune, but the rest of yall…beware!" She laughed, Kolyat was stunned that she actually found the idea of her squad getting ripped apart by a krogan funny.

"Okay I get it, don't talk to the Krogan…" He stepped back as the two passed him, heading for the elevator.

His father had barely even looked at him, obviously upset. Kolyat didn't know what they were doing, but seeing everyone strapping weapons all over themselves caused him to regret his earlier words.

"Dad…"

Thane paused, gesturing for Fae to wait for him.

"Yes Kolyat?" He responded curtly as he walked back to his son.

"I…I'm…" Kolyat sighed, muttering a drell swear word under his breath, "Look, I'm sorry for what I said okay? Shepard talked to me about it…and I realize it was very rude and unfair of me to behave like that…"

Thane's face softened, a small smile showing, "Thank you Kolyat…that means a lot to me."  
>Before Kolyat knew what was happening his father was hugging him.<p>

Kolyat stiffened, before lightly patting his father's back and stepping away as quickly as possible, "Yea… fine…just…don't get shot alright?"

Thane chuckled softly, adjusting his guns, "I shall try my best…"

"Jesus Christ! Can we please cut the mushy gushy father/son bonding moment so I can go shoot stuff?" Fae cried, groaning as she leaned heavily against the elevator.

"I thought you said there would be little to no combat on this mission Shepard…" Thane responded, walking back towards her. They both entered the elevator.

"Who said anything about it being part of the mission?" She quipped, winking at Kolyat before the doors slid closed.

. . .

Kolyat spent most of his time that day in Life Support, trying to figure out a way to extend his stay aboard the Normandy. So far he was leaving tomorrow; Thane had already scheduled passage for him to go back to Kahje. While Kolyat did miss his family there, his cousins especially, he wanted to stay. He wanted to work on his relationship with his Father and he wanted to help Shepard. He didn't really know why he wanted to help her cause so much, thinking on it brought no answers and he would need answers to negotiate his way onto her crew, but so far all he knew was that he wanted to stay more than anything.

There was a soft knock before the doors to Life Support opened.

"Hello?" A warm voice called, the voice was soon followed by a silver haired, human woman. Her face was kind, and Kolyat instantly liked her.

"Did you need something?" He asked, standing from his cot.

"I'm the ship's medic, Dr. Chakwas; your father had wanted me to inquire as to when you were last scanned for Kepral's…"

Kolyat closed his eyes, slipping into memory for a brief moment, "Two months ago…"

Dr. Chakwas smiled, "So it's time for another one then, come along please."

Upon following the doctor into the med bay, Kolyat immediately had to duck and roll to the side as a bed pan slammed into the wall, right where his head had been.

"That was fuckin BULLSHIT Massani! Complete Bullshit!" Jack yelled, throwing another bed pan, this time it smacked against her target. Kolyat saw the tattooed woman was fighting with a tall human man who was as heavily scarred as Garrus. His face looked as if it had been torn in half, Kolyat also noticing he had two different eye colors…one blue, like Fae's, and one grey. He was currently staring down the mad biotic, muscles bulging as he flexed his arms, a shit eating grin on his face.

"Jack how many times is it gonna take me kicking your ass for you to learn you can't win?"

All Jack did was roar as she threw more medical equipment his way.

"Alright, that's ENOUGH!" To Kolyat's surprise, Chakwas moved to the center of the room, glaring at both squad members, "Jack, you are in my med bay for what reason?"

Jack was panting, her eyes narrowing to slits, "That motherfucker did something to me…he's fucked up my biotics!"

"And you'll be fine in less than three hours; I told you it would fade Jack…"

"AND I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" Jack screamed.

"Alright!" Chakwas yelled, moving closer to Jack, "Let me take a reading…"

Jack sat on one of the med tables, stretching her neck out as she looked down towards the floor. Dr. Chakwas brought out a strange instrument; the thing resembling a syringe, and plunged it into the biotic's lower neck, almost at her shoulders. Jack didn't even flinch.

After a few moments Chakwas removed the needle, Jack shivering slightly as she was released. Chakwas then pulled up her Omni Tool, scanning through several data banks.

"It would appear Mr. Massani is telling you the truth Jack, he simply used a combat technique that paralyzes the implants for a short period of time, short circuiting all biotic abilities. I suggest you go lay down and rest, you should be fine." The doctor sighed heavily as she disposed of the needle.

"I better be fine damn it or I'll fucking destroy you Massani…" Jack growled; her voice low and guttural, making Kolyat cringe as he pictured that kind of rage releasing itself on him.

"Whatever Jack, how about you quit your bitching and swallow some of that damned pride…" Their conversation slowly faded as they exited the room.

"I apologize for putting you in the middle of that." Chakwas said, smiling sadly at him from her private terminal, "Forgive their violent actions, they've been cooped up on this ship for far too long I think…" Chakwas massaged her temples, "I swear, between those two, our Krogan squad member, and now Garrus…I've probably had five years taken off my lifespan."She chuckled, before standing and gesturing for him to come nearer, "Now take off your jacket and shirt so I can scan your lungs…"

. . .

Fae leaned heavily against the wall of the elevator, trying to stay as far away from her turian partner as possible because he was absolutely _pissed_.

"Garrus…"

"Go to Hell Shepard."

"Hey, what the fuck did I do?!"

"You know damn well what you did. You got in the way, decided to swoop in and stick your nose into someone else's business…like you always do." Garrus growled. Fae saw Thane's posture tense, his body slowly slipping into a defensive position; ready to throw himself in front of her should Garrus strike out.

"May I remind you that you _asked_me to get involved in this?" She hissed through her teeth as the elevator opened onto the crew deck.

"I asked you to help me find Sidonis, nothing more…" Garrus said, voice slowly rising, "but you couldn't even do that…you had to let him get away!"

Fae stormed after the turian, ignoring the stares they were attracting, "Listen here Vakarian, if you think I'm gonna let you turn into a murderer you are seriously bat shit crazy!" She roared.

"It wasn't murder it was JUSTICE!" Garrus whirled around, getting right in her face, "Ten good men, Shepard. Ten good men lying in unmarked graves because of that bastard and you just let him walk away…"

"Because he was already paying for his crime! Jesus, Garrus…did you not see his face? He's already dead!" Fae screamed in frustration.

Kolyat heard Fae's scream, rushing out of the med bay. He almost crashed into his father's back, "Dad…what's going on?"

Thane sighed, his shoulders tensing as he turned towards his son. "Garrus is having a small disagreement with our Commander. I'm hoping things will stay at this level of hostility, but just in case Garrus attacks Shepard I am remaining here." He examined his father, noting Thane's black leathers were scuffed and torn, his jacket fraying around the edges. They'd obviously encountered close combat on the mission.

Kolyat looked to Garrus and Fae, the two circling each other in the center of the mess. The turian's armor was too damaged for Kolyat to tell if he had been hurt on the mission, but he could definitely tell with Fae. Her armor was scratched and dented, one of the shoulder pads hanging on by a thread almost, and her chest piece had several bullet holes. He felt his gut clench in worry as he saw they were about to fight, Fae looked so tiny next to Garrus. The turian had to be at least 7 feet tall…

"Shit…who started what?" Jack appeared next to him.

"Twenty creds says he drops her in five minutes…" the man Kolyat knew only as Massani came up beside Jack.

"That's fucking retarded…thirty says Boss Lady kicks his ass." Jack countered; both of them shaking hands.

There was a shimmer of light and Kolyat actually yelped as a hand clamped down on his shoulder, "Why hello there! Kasumi Goto. You must be Thane's boy, it's nice to finally meet you, your father speaks of you often." The words were spoken a mile a minute as a hooded woman popped into existence next to him, Kolyat only registering a set of purple striped lips stretching into a smile. She seemed totally unfazed by the impending violence in front of her.

"H-hello…" He mumbled, trying to delicately shrug the woman's hand off him, she took the hint.

"I didn't mean to startle you, I'm so used to being cloaked, and I sometimes forget it's activated!" She laughed, glancing out towards the Commander and Garrus, who were still yelling at each other.

"Any idea what mess our girl has gotten herself into?" Kasumi asked, looking at Thane.

"It's a long story Ms. Goto." Thane responded.

Kolyat turned his attention back to Fae…and Garrus.

"If you didn't want my help then you shouldn't have asked for it!" Fae growled, baring her teeth as she moved towards Garrus, "You knew from the beginning I wasn't okay with any of this!"

"And you saw their bodies Shepard! How can you allow someone to walk away after doing that?!"

"If I had let you kill Sidonis, you would have _become_Sidonis can't you see that? You are so much better than that Vakarian. The Garrus I know wouldn't act like that…"

"Well the Garrus you know is DEAD!" The turian got right back in her face, practically bent over the small human. Kolyat saw Fae flinch as she stepped back. A shadow passing over her face.

"Garrus, don't do this…don't be like this." Her shoulders sagged, her entire posture defeated.

"Be like what Shepard? You have no idea what it's like to be betrayed this way…"

Kolyat heard his father's sharp intake of breath, could feel Kasumi's body stiffen. Fae's head snapped up, the fire and rage back in her blue eyes…

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Garrus hissed.

"Walk away Garrus…now."

"No! You walk the hell away. You have no idea what I've been through Shepard…you don't know what it was like!"

"Are you fucking kidding me?! I had to bury my family you piece of shit! You know my story!" Fae launched herself at the turian, kicking and scraping at his armor, "Don't. You. Fucking. Go. There!" She punctuated each word with a punch to Garrus's face.

Garrus gave a harsh growl, sounding almost feral as he slapped the Commander across the face.

Time seemed to freeze momentarily…Kolyat watched as Fae fell away from Garrus, three jagged cuts running across her left cheek and down her neck from Garrus's talons. Her eyes were wide…she was stunned.

Garrus stood, growling, not even aware of what he had done…

Thane lunged forward, immediately pulled back by Jack and Massani, "No Lizard Man…you gotta let them fight it out." Jack growled as Thane struggled against her. Kolyat had never seen his father so angry and if he was honest, the only reason he wasn't joining the fight himself was because he knew he'd just get in the way.

"Let it go Krios…she'll be fine!" Massani growled, practically throwing his father back against the wall.

Thane landed on his feet, shrugging his shoulders as he straightened the collar of his jacket. He was still mad, but his rage was under control…if barely.

Kolyat turned back to the fight, realizing Garrus and Fae were at it again.

It was then Kolyat realized how Fae was able to fight…she cheated.

Her body flipped and spun, ducked and whirled about. She was like an acrobat…using her height to her advantage, tripping Garrus up and using his bulky armor against him. Kolyat almost laughed as she ducked between Garrus's legs.

The woman jumped off of any surface near her, leaping at the turian, punching and scraping at him until her knuckles were raw and bloody. Garrus and her trading insults all the way…

"You're a disgrace to your species!" Garrus yelled, throwing a punch at her gut.

Fae dodged, "Yea, you would know what that feels like wouldn't you Vakarian?" She leaped towards him again.

Garrus dove to the side, narrowly avoiding her, "Why did you even bother coming back?!"

"To kick your ass, what other purpose was there?!"

"You look like an infant!"

"And you look like a grasshopper!" That caused Garrus to pause, listening to the definition of what a 'grasshopper' was through his translator. Fae fell back against the stove, swiping at the blood running from her nose as she prepared for another attack.

There came none, Garrus Vakarian stared at her for a long moment, before a low chuckle sounded, his shoulders beginning to shake. Soon Fae started to giggle, the little shakes turning into spasms as her laughter increased. She fell against the turian, both leaning against the other for support as their laughter began to sound almost maniacal.

"A grasshopper, Shepard? I look like a bug?!"

Fae punched his shoulder, "You called me a baby…stupid bastard!"

Kolyat sighed in relief as it looked like the fight was over. His father stepped forward, "I would assume, since there is laughter, that you are no longer trying to kill each other?" His voice was hesitant.

Fae straightened, saluting his father, "Yes sir! I've had my ass sufficiently kicked for today."

She jabbed Garrus in the side, he in return shoving her away as he gingerly touched his scarred mandible, "Spirits Shepard…you almost ripped it off…"

"That's not all I was about to rip off Vakarian, trust me…" Fae laughed, "Now go patch yourself up, I'll sort this out with you later, in a less violent manner mmkay?"

"Yea…see you then Commander." Garrus moved towards the Main Battery, limping slightly.

"Damn it, I needed those creds…" Jack muttered under her breath as she and Massani headed for the elevator.

Kasumi smiled at Kolyat, winking before she shimmered out of existence. Kolyat's modified eyes caught a slight flickering light heading towards one of the observatories.

Thane approached the Commander, "Shepard…"

"I'll be fine, Krios…go see Chakwas, I'm pretty sure those mechs hurt your shoulder. Don't even try to fake otherwise." She glared at him, her blue eyes seeming to almost glow against the dull red hue of her blood stained face.

"As you wish…" Thane turned on his heel, walking back towards Chakwas.

"Are you sure you're okay Shepard?" Kolyat asked. Fae looked absolutely terrible…

"Yea, I'll be fine, just got to get a dish rag is all…" She reached for one, glancing up as she soaked it in cold water.

It was then she noticed Kolyat was half naked. Her eyes widening at his exposed torso.

Kolyat noticed her staring, his posture becoming self conscious, "I…uh, had to get a scan from Chakwas…when the fight started I just rushed out, forgot my shirt…"

Fae's eyes hadn't left his chest, "uh-huh…" she responded, her dead pan voice indicating her mind had gone elsewhere. _Damn…it is a crime against the galaxy for that boy to wear any kind of shirt…holy hell, you could do laundry on those abs…_

"Umm…Shepard? You there?" He waved his hand in front of her face, a small smile stretching his lips.

She blinked several times, shaking her head slightly, "Huh, what? Oh…sorry, umm…did you need something?" Kolyat watched her normally pale skin flush pink.

His smile widened, "I asked if you were sure you didn't need to see the doctor yourself…" He crossed his arms, Fae's eyes instantly traveling to the flexing muscles. _Dear Lord…I'm ruined for humans now…no human male has muscles that good outside of the Greek gods…_

"Uh…no…no I'm…fine…" She shook her head again, her skin flushing to an even darker hue, "h-how about you go…get dressed, check on your dad or something." She returned her attention to the dish rag, only looking up again once Kolyat's back was to her.

_Daaammmnnn…_ She thought as she watched him walk away, the view from the back was almost as good as the front. _Wait..what the fuck is wrong with you? Get it together moron!_


	4. All These Feels

"Hey…"

"Oh! Hey Kolyat, what are you doing down here?"

The drell shrugged as he approached her, dressed in a thin T-shirt and drawstring pants,

"Well I noticed you kinda stormed off after talking with Garrus, Dad told me to give you a few minutes before following."

"Smart man that Krios." She chuckled, slapping her hand on the crate next to the one she was sitting on, "Have a seat."

Kolyat looked around before sitting, "Man this place is huge…"

The cargo bay could easily fit his aunt's house, including the surrounding buildings.

"Yea, it's much bigger than the original Normandy. Kinda makes me wonder if the Illusive Man is compensating for something…"

Kolyat laughed, "From what I hear he's got quite the stick up his ass."

"Stick? The man has an entire tree shoved up there!"

They fell into a companionable silence; the only sounds were the hum of the engines and the slightly labored breathing of Shepard. It was then Kolyat noticed she was drenched in sweat, her usually spiky hair plastered to her skull. Fae had a bottle of water hanging from her fingers and a glance behind him showed the heavy bag with a massive hole ripped down the side.

"I take it the equipment offended you in some way?"

Fae looked back, "What, that? Nah," She paused, jaw clenching momentarily, "Garrus's mission just…hit close to home is all."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm guessing you know by now what happened on the Citadel today."

"Dad gave me the highlights."

"Well, the same situation kinda happened to me."

Kolyat looked at his hands for a moment, "You mind if I ask what happened?"

"Actually no, I don't mind." Fae seemed surprised at this but continued on, "My family lived in one of the harsher districts of the Tenth Street Reds. Bad luck I guess, but we lived on. My father took every precaution and he _never_ missed a payment."

"Payment?"

"Yea, protection money. It was just one huge extortion racket. You'd pay the Reds a little of your monthly paycheck and they wouldn't drive by and shoot your kids while they were playing hide and seek on the front yard."

"Goddess of Oceans…"

"That's the least of what happens in the slums man, way worse shit goes down out there." Her eyes held a reddish glint as she glared at the far wall, "Anyway, my father never missed a payment. He didn't want his children to live indoors their whole lives."

"Children?"

Fae smiled, "I had three sisters, all older. I was the baby of the family." Her smile faded, "My mother had always been sick, the doctors never really knew what was wrong with her, something to do with her immune system but my father never told us anything. He wanted to protect us; mom didn't want us to worry.

I started getting involved with the Underground when I was about 13. Normal teenage rebellion bullshit, fighting the system you know? Defying authority? I was just having fun, and pretty soon I got a job as a DJ for several major hangouts for the Reds.

I didn't find this out till way later, but a new medication hit the black market. It wasn't approved by the right companies because it was highly experimental and controversial but it held the key to curing my mom. It was also very expensive…"

"I think I see where this is going…"

"I bet you do," Fae murmured, lips trembling slightly before she continued, "My father thought, it's just one missed payment, what could it hurt? And my mother wanted to try it. She said she didn't care about the dangers; she just wanted to be able to play with her daughters in the garden…

What my father didn't know was that one of the heads of our district, Finch, had been stealing money from the main accounts. Lots of money, enough that a few of the higher ups started noticing…Under pressure he told them my father stole the money, pushed the blame onto my family."

"Fae…"

"I wasn't there, I worked that night. I was just walking home like any other morning and then I smelled smoke…" Her voice choked off before she continued, "They burned the house down while my family slept."

Kolyat felt the zing down his spine, his breath quickening as memory crashed over him.

_School's out, finally. I have never been so bored in my entire life…_

_I can't wait to get home; Dad's supposed to be arriving later tonight. Mom's been cooking all day and she says if I get home fast enough I can lick the cake batter off the spoon._

_Something's not right, I smell fire…M-Mommy?_

_Her scales were once golden, sunset colored eyes…they're red now, and the sun has set._

He jolted back to the present, finding Fae's arms around him.

"I remembered that out loud didn't I?"

"Yep," Fae whispered, tightening her hold.

When Fae finally did pull away she had tears in her eyes, "That's why it was so hard to see Garrus face Sidonis. I had to face Finch when we were hunting Saren."

"What happened?"

Fae shrugged, "He had the nerve to ask me to help the Reds. I had the decency to refrain from doing more than kicking him in the crotch."

"Why didn't you kill him?"

"I shoved my gun in his face, but all I could hear was my mother telling me how wrong violence was, how it didn't solve anything, it just added more pain. So I let him go."

"Did you explain this to Garrus?"

"Oh Garrus knows my past, that's why I snapped when he said I didn't understand what he'd been through. We had our talk and I realized he was so angry at me because he couldn't be angry at Sidonis. He had let that bastard go and he wanted his revenge…so he took it out on me. I know how that feels, so I forgave him."

Kolyat nodded, "That's big of you."

"We're a team. We need to work together to stop the Collectors."

"I see."

Fae looked at her Omni Tool, "Jesus Christ, Mary, and Joseph! You're gonna miss dinner, better run up to the Mess quick before Gardner gives your plate to Grunt."

"Aren't you coming?"

Fae shook her head, smiling softly at him, "Nah, I'm gonna stay down here for a bit. Gardner _has_ to save my food."

He smirked back at her before heading for the elevators. His last sight of the Commander was her waving before delivering a roundhouse kick to the heavy bag.

. . .

"You disappeared for a while before dinner." Thane Krios commented from his bed as Kolyat fell onto his cot.

"Just talked with the Commander for a bit."

"I assume everything remained peaceful?"

Kolyat chuckled, "Yea…she just told me about her family, what happened to them."

His father sat up abruptly, "Fae told you?"

"Yea, I thought all the squad knew."

"No," Thane looked surprised, "The only individuals on this ship who know are the members of her old crew and myself. Fae refuses to speak of her life before the Alliance…"

"Huh, well…huh." Kolyat wasn't sure how to process that. Why had she told him? She barely knew him…

Thane gave him an odd look before laying back down, "Clearly she trusts you. Don't take that lightly Kolyat."

"I won't."

Kolyat pulled his shirt off, throwing it in the general direction of the laundry disposal before settling back into bed. He quickly fell asleep, doing his best to push thoughts of Fae to the back of his mind.


	5. Kid's Got Guts

"You, Sere, are an idiot…"

Kolyat had never heard Fae address his father like that. He had just exited the showers, not meaning to eavesdrop, but hearing Fae and his father fighting had caused him to pause.

"You are not a doctor, Shepard; I am fine I assure you."

"Yea, you're the picture of health. I completely forgot that only the healthiest individuals hack up their own organs."

"It was a moment of weakness nothing more, it will not happen again."

"Yea, not where I can catch you. You aren't sleeping are you?"

It was true. In the two days Kolyat had stayed aboard the Normandy he had seen his father sleep maybe once. The rest of the time Thane either read books he had borrowed from Kasumi or slipped into his meditations.

Thane didn't respond. Kolyat peered around the corner to find his father seated at one of the large dining tables, his head resting against the smooth surface. He was panting, as if he couldn't catch his breath, and Kolyat felt his chest tighten in response.

Fae stood across the table from Thane, her arms crossed and hip cocked to one side. The petite commander's expression was a mixture of concern and rage, the loose t-shirt and pants she wore virtually vibrating from the anger she barely held in check.

"You son of a bitch" She hissed, "I trusted you to take care of yourself, assuming you would rest when you were supposed to and keep your illness in check and you've been lying to my face this whole time." She stormed around the table, "What the hell are you playing at Krios? You want to spend more time with your son. How the fuck are you going to do that dead?"

Thane still didn't respond, though his posture stiffened. Kolyat watched Fae bring a hand to her face, covering her eyes as her frame trembled slightly.

"Thane…just…please take better care of yourself…I've lost so many people I just…" His father stood at that, moving towards the tiny human.

"I'll take better care of myself Commander…" He murmured as he pulled her into a hug, placing a hand on her head as his other arm wrapped around her shoulders.

Kolyat slipped into Life Support then, wanting to give them privacy. He threw his towel down the laundry disposal and quickly dressed, trying not to think of just how sick his father really was.

. . .

"Should we intervene?"

"Nah, I don't think they've thrown any punches. That crash was one of the chairs hitting the window."

Both the turian and the human watched the closed door to Life Support, the holopad a bright and angry red as the raspy voices from within rose in volume.

Thane had gone in to get Kolyat ready to leave…two hours before.

"Is something wrong?" Samara asked softly, appearing at Garrus's side. The Justicar was extremely protective of Thane.

"I'm not sure," Fae murmured, stirring her tea before moving to sit on one of the counter tops.

"I SAID NO! I FORBID IT!"

"AND I SAY YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER ME ANYMORE! I'M AN ADULT NOW, I MAKE MY OWN DECISIONS!"

"Score one for Junior!" Fae crowed, ticking an imaginary score card.

"Do you even know what they're fighting about?" Garrus chuckled.

"Not a clue, but hey I hate parental authority."

"I assume you gave your parents absolute hell as a child…"

Fae smirked at Garrus, "Oh you have absolutely no idea sweetie, no idea at all."

It was then the doors to Life Support opened, father and son storming towards the trio in the mess.

"I'll ask Shepard," Kolyat growled, "After all it's _her_ ship!"

"What the fuck is going on?" Fae snapped, "Kolyat, the ship to Kahje leaves in three hours. You two need to hurry, not tear each other a new one."

"My son has something he wants to ask you." Thane hissed, eyes narrowing in Kolyat's direction before turning his angry gaze back on her, "A question I don't think is even worthy of an answer."

"And I think it's a valid question!" Kolyat roared, the lights hitting his eyes just right, showing Fae the bright silver color of his irises.

"Well out with it then." She grunted, crossing her legs as she folded her hands over her knees.

Kolyat straightened, clasping his hands behind his back in a gesture that screamed who his father was, "I want to join your crew."

There was a moment of tense silence before Fae responded, "Say what now?"

"You heard me." Kolyat murmured, moving to stand right in front of her, "I want to join your crew."

_Dear God, he's actually serious…_

"Kolyat," Fae tried to keep her voice calm, "What the hell? I mean, shit, do you even know what you're asking?"

"Yes." He responded, "I've seen some of the mission reports, I know what you guys are up against and I want to help."

"Wait, how did you see those reports?!" Miranda Lawson snapped as she left her office, "Those are encrypted!" She was pissed.

A small smirk quirked the boy's lips as he shrugged, "I'm pretty good at hacking."

Fae couldn't quite stifle her smile. Anything that upset the Cerberus cheerleader was extremely amusing.

Kolyat turned back to Fae, "I know the dangers. I know that this is being labeled a suicide mission, but I want to help." Determination etched his features, "I want to fight."

Thane hissed at that, his expression one of utter rage, "No. You are not sharing the path of sin. I forbid it."

"Is it a sin to want to save the galaxy?!" Kolyat turned on his father, "Knowing what I know now, the real sin would be going back home to my quiet little boring life and pretending like the Reapers don't exist!"

"Hey!" Fae shouted, sliding from the counter as she put herself between the two drell, "I think we've had enough fights on this ship already. Both of you calm the hell down."

Thane huffed as he backed off, crossing his arms as he glared at his son. Fae ached for him, knowing that the look on his face would have been the same look on her parents' faces if they had been alive when she'd joined the Alliance.

Kolyat wasn't finished, "I just got you back." He said, stepping towards his father, "I've lived my whole life wanting to get to know you, the real you. I'm not going to just sit and wait to hear whether you lived through this mission or not."

"Kolyat," Thane sighed, his voice thick. He shook his head, eyes pleading for help from Fae.

Fae looked around and noticed the crowd had dispersed-Miranda was gone and Samara had quietly slipped back to her rooms. Without the Justicar's calming aura, the space felt somewhat more hostile and hit home how alone they now were in the Mess. A quick glance at Garrus showed the turian appearing as if he wished to be anywhere but right in the middle of the father/son moment.

"Go." She snapped in his direction, Garrus giving her a grateful look before all but running back to his calibrations.

"It's not a sin to want to help Shepard, Dad. This is helping save trillions of lives; I want to be a part of it." Kolyat wasn't backing down.

Thane remained silent for a long moment. Fae began to wonder if he might allow his son to do this.

"No." There was a final edge to his words, "Even if you hate me for it, no. I would rather you despise me than dead."

"Who says I'm going to die?!" Kolyat cried as his father turned from him.

Thane was almost back at the doors to Life Support when Kolyat pulled out his last option.

"I'll go to them."

Thane froze, every muscle in his body tensing, "You are too old."

"Not old enough that they can't find a use for me. I know they asked for me when I was born…"

Fae moved towards Kolyat, "Um, would you mind dumbing this down so that the puny human can comprehend whatever the fuck's going on?"

Kolyat continued to glare at his father, "The Hanar, when their assassins have children, always ask after the child. When the time came for the question to be answered my parents told them no."

_Shit._

Thane turned back to his son, "You wouldn't dare."

"It's your choice Dad, either you let me do this or I really do follow in your footsteps."

Fae buried her face in her hands, shoulders sagging before she looked up, "Kolyat, do you even _have_ combat training?"

"Yes. My aunt made sure after my mother died that I be trained thoroughly in hand to hand so that if, Gods forbid, the batarians came back for me I'd be prepared."

"What about guns?"

"I have some experience with pistols…"

Fae couldn't help herself, "I saw three Krogan limping outta C-Sec that suggest otherwise."

"I was distracted!"

Fae sobered, "Kolyat, way worse distractions than someone shouting your name happen in a fire fight."

"I learn fast."

Fae glared down at her feet, debating for what felt like forever. After sharing a look with Thane she shook her head and began walking towards the elevator.

"Get out of those leathers and into some sweats. I'll meet you down in the Cargo Bay."

"Wait…what?"

Fae didn't look back as she punched the call button, "You and me are gonna have a little sparring match. If you take me down you can stay."

Kolyat barely had time to register what was said before the elevator doors closed, Thane Krios slipping inside at the last minute.


	6. Come At Me Bro

Fae sighed heavily as the elevator began its descent, "Thane…"

"He does not belong here."

"Maybe not, but he does deserve a chance."

"No."

"Thane, he's not a little boy anymore. No matter how much you want it to be otherwise…"

"But Shepard-"

"But nothing. I'm giving him a chance; he made some very valid points. I can also trust him to look out for you."

Thane stiffened, "Pardon?"

"You know what I'm talking about. You honestly think I'm gonna allow the lies to continue? No. You're going to start taking better care of yourself. If not for me, then for Kolyat.

"Fae!"

"It doesn't matter! We're arguing over nothing." She snapped as the elevator doors opened to the Cargo Bay, "Kolyat's not gonna take me down. A few slams against the wall and he'll see he's in way over his head."

. . .

"So, uh…how's this going to go down?" Kolyat asked hesitantly. He was pretty confident he could take her down, but she was still the savior of the galaxy…

Fae smirked, "Just try your best to take me down, there's no time limit. We'll fight until you don't wanna fight any more or until I break you."

"That's not funny." Kolyat snapped, crossing his arms.

"That's because she isn't joking Kolyat." Thane murmured from the sidelines. His voice was strained, the older drell viewing them with tortured eyes.

Fae stood in the center of the mats, eyes locked on Thane as if waiting for a final sign of his acceptance.

He gave it, nodding curtly before moving to the outskirts of the fighting area. The squad used this room in the cargo hold to spar, making sure to switch partners regularly so as to adapt to different combat styles.

Kolyat saw Fae stretch, the woman swinging her arms and shrugging her shoulders before stepping closer.

"See junior, this is a high risk mission; an all out assault on an alien base in an unknown region of space. To have even a chance at success I've had to recruit nothing but the best in every field so if you wish to join us you've got some pretty high standards to deal with."

"I think I can handle it." The drell answered cockily, his confidence causing Fae to raise an eyebrow skeptically, "So, uh, just what are you the best at?"

Fae's entire form flashed blue, "I'm a vanguard, baby."

Kolyat barely had time to think, _shit_before he was flung across the room.

The world twisted into a kaleidoscope of pain, Kolyat unable to stop a groan from escaping his throat.

Fae approached his slumped form, "Well, now that that's settled, you've got five minutes to clean up if you want to catch that shuttle on time."

Kolyat coughed, wheezing slightly as he tried to stand, "…No"

Fae paused, "Say what?"

He smirked, a trickle of blood running from his nose down to his chin, "You said we could fight until I didn't want to anymore…I still want to." To push the point further he stood, straightening his clothes before sliding into an attack position.

Fae's lips curved into a wolfish grin, "Bring it blue boy."

She neared, stepping back as Kolyat swung for her. She dodged quickly, flitting around him almost too fast for him to focus.

He narrowly avoided her fist, dropping to the ground to sweep her legs out from under her. Fae leapt over his leg, tumbling to the side before charging him once more.

He flew to the side, feeling his scales tingle as she passed.

The minutes ticked by, Kolyat ignoring the world around him as he focused completely on Fae. The Commander had a similar experience. There were no whistles or cheers, no encouraging calls from their audience; everything had faded until there was nothing but her and Kolyat.

The kid was good. Every time it seemed she had the upper hand he slipped from her grasp, coming up a split second later with a punch or a kick to her side.

He leapt and spun, delivering blow after blow though she blocked the majority of them.

Taking the offensive she felt her amp's power zing down her spine, the itch in her veins making her grit her teeth.

She charged, Kolyat rolling once more to the side and spinning around to watch her come to a halt at the very edge of the mats.

Kolyat knew very little about vanguards, but what he'd just noticed was they lacked control. Every time Fae charged she was committed to the path she'd set herself on.

And so armed with that knowledge he set himself up for it, giving her the perfect opportunity and praying to Amonkira that she would take it.

Apparently he was listening.

She charged, Kolyat holding his ground until the very last minute where he ducked and lunged, clothes-lining the commander.

She grunted in pain, slamming into the mat with a satisfying thud.

Kolyat enjoyed the sight of her stunned; it was delicious payback for his previous beating in Tallid's apartment.

Fae's lungs pumped viciously for air, a hacking cough escaping her as she felt her throat, knowing full well the bruise that would soon appear. Drell muscle was much denser than human and taking a hit at that speed from Kolyat was like running into a wall.

She heard footsteps, soft and almost unnoticeable on the flimsy mat before Thane's voice drifted over her, "Commander? Fae, are you alright?"

"Never better!" She coughed out, sitting up slowly. Her baby blue eyes sought out Kolyat's ebony ones, taking in his smug expression.

"Well done." She called, nodding appreciatively at Thane's son. Sending a quick apologetic look at Thane she returned her attention to Kolyat, "Welcome to the crew."

**AN: Please forgive the horrible fight scene, I'm trying to improve my combat writing but I don't think I'm succeeding. ^^;**


End file.
